Harlingen, TX - The United League Baseball’s Harlingen WhiteWings today announced their new field manager in a press conference at the Harlingen Country Club. “Dirty Al” Gallagher becomes the second manager in the history of the WhiteWings United League entry and the first skipper with the club known as the Harlingen WhiteWings.
Gallagher brings more than 20 years of minor league baseball experience and 1,100 victories to the Rio Grande Valley. The California native kicked off his managerial career in 1976 when he assumed the reigns of the Durango Scorpions of the Mexican League. He moved on to lead clubs in the Lone Star League, the Carolina League (with the Atlanta Braves organization), and the American Association (with the Indians minor league system). His independent baseball career started in Bend (OR) in 1995 and includes Northern League stops in Madison (WI), Duluth-Superior (MN), and Kansas City (MO). Last season, he was at the helm of the St. Joe (MO) Blacksnakes of the independent American Association.
The San Francisco Giants made Gallagher a first-round draft pick (14th overall) in the 1965 draft. The former Santa Clara University infielder made his Major League debut in 1970 when he hit .263 with 15 doubles, four home runs, and 28 RBI. Those statistics earned him TOPPS Rookie Third Baseman of the Year accolades. Gallagher spent three seasons with his hometown team before being dealt to the California Angels in 1973 where he played his final big league season.
“This is the most important piece of the puzzle for the WhiteWings,” said General Manager Dave Kost. “To get a man with more than 25 years of experience in professional baseball says a lot about what our organization wants to do and we are honored to have a man of Al’s stature in the game, to say the least.”
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